Cable splicing tool



March 1, 1932. E. J. DE RIGHT CABLE SPLICING TOOL Filed Aug. 10, 1928 Patented Mar. 1, 1932 nniren s'rATEs ELON .I. DE RIGHT, on s'rl ncurs, MISSOURI:

CABLE SPLIGING 'roor.

Application filed August 10, 1928. Serial no; 298,739.

This invention relates to cable splicing tools, and has particular reference to improvements in so-called sleeve-twisters or devices adapted for use in connection with cable-splicing sleeves or the like.

In one commonly used form of cable-splice,

my invention; a portion being broken away the cable ends are contained in parallel adjacence in a splicing sleeve or elongated thimble, the sleeve and its contained cables being then twisted or helically wrapped to form the splice.

For best results the sleeve should preferably fit the cables snugly, after thetwisting operation is completed, and'to this end, it is one of the objects of this invention to crimp the ends of the sleeve on the adjacent cables, prior to the twisting operation, to thereafter prevent creeping or buckling of the sleeve on twisting movement thereof.

In practice, the cables commonly employed vary in size. and the lineman has heretofore found it necessary to carry a plurality of sleeve-twisters. each being adapted to accommodate only one particular size oi cable.

Another obiect of the invention'is, therefore,- to provide crimping or sleeve gripping means removably associated with the sleeve twister, said grinning means being relatively light in weight, whereby a plurality thereof for arious sized cables may be carried by the lineman, thus accomplishing a saving in nht and expense, in a-simple and effective manner.

Still another object is to provide a sleeve.- twister including a pair extension handles adapted for detachable mounting on the twister for ter effectiveness in turning eilort when conditions will permit, and provid' 9: for the r removal when working in restricted quarters; a

A further object is to provide a simple and effective means for mounting the sleeve it ined cables in the sleeve-twister on with thegripping means, and

.toclamp said gripping means on the sleeve to hold the sleeve inthe sleeve-twister.

ther objects and advantages will appear from the drawings and the following detailed description, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of to shew'the manner of attaching an extension handle; Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary. partly sectional view of Fig. 1,

showinga sleeve andits contained cables clamped therein with the extension handles removed; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail per,- spective view of one of the die-blocks; Fig. 4 is aperspectiveviewof a sleeveand its contained cable ends; Fig. 5 is'a view similar 'to Fig. 4, showing the sleeve and its contained cables helically twisted to form asplice thereb'etween. V s

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, 'whereinis shown the preferred embodiment of my improved cable-splicing tool, I show a sleeve-twister including a hingedly connected gripping jaw assembly A and ia set of opposing sleeve receiving crimping dies B removably dovetailed in the respective jaws, of the assembly A, the whole being adapted to .be 'operatively applied for twisting movement to a cable-sleeve C, and its contained cables, the latter appearing as best seen in Fig. 4, prior to, and in Fig. '5', subsequent to, the twisting operation. The gripping aw assembly A may include a body member 1' and swingable member 2 having one or its hinged end bifurcated to form a yoke 3 receiving a lug 4,; laterally presented from the body-member 1, for pivotal movement about a transverse pin 5' passed through said yoke 3 and lug 4. Pivoted on a pin 6 disposed transversely in a slot 7 in the body member 1', and in lateral adjacence to the free end '8 ofthe hinged member 2 for swing'able movement in a slot 9 in said end 8, is a clamp bolt 10 threaded to a clamp-nut 11, handled as at 12, for releasablypressing or clamping together the jaws 1, 2 of the jaw assembly A. a-ving inclined shoulders or abutments 13 adapted to contact the inclined side walls of, and replaceably slidable in, the transverse dovetailed slots 14 provided in opposing relation in the respective jaw members 1, 2 and further adapted to be secured therein by threadedly engaging as at 15 suitable fastening elements or screws 15 mounted through the respective jaw members, is a pair of cable-sleeve-receiving co-actingly opposed crimping members or die-blocks 16, each pair of-die-blocks forming one, or a set, of die assemblies B associated with the jaw assembly for the reception of different sizes of sleeves C, and their contained cables, as will presently appear.

Transversely disposed in each of the pposing faces of the die-blocks 1.6 for complementary registration are aplurality or preferably a pair of conjoined grooves 17 conforming to the cables contained in the sleeve C, the conjoinedwall or walls 18 of adjacent grooves being preferably rounded to prevent cutting the sleeve '0 "on crimping action of the die assembly B thereon. Endwise presented, from the opposite ends of the body member 1, for manipulation of the sleeve twister, and threaded as at 19 preferably adjacent .to each body member 1 for detachable presentment "thereon of extension handle "sleeves 20, are handle members 21, said handles 20, 21 preferably having knurled :grips as suggested at 22.

To illustrate one use of my invention, I

show a cable-sleeve C of preferably ductile material, as copper or aluminum, adapted tOTBCGlVG'lIl lapped ad acence, for example, a

- pair of wires or cable ends, or like spliceable ab'outthe pin to openthe jawsifor'theregis- .trativ'e reception of the sleeve G and its con tained 'cabl'esbetween the the blocks 16. 7

Thus disposed,the sleeve C audits contained cables '23 are clamped between the :jaws '1, 2, suitable manipulation 'of the handled nut 11 on the bolt 10, the edges 18 of "the respective adie-b'locks 16 at the same time :crimpi-ng :or embedding the sleevematerial a-round and between "the cables '23, a

" suggested at 24in Fig. 5. 1

Preferably, the :s'leeve-twisters are used in p airs, one of my improved sleeve=twisters be disposed o'r fclamp'ed oneach of the opopposite directions to twist the sleeve and wind its contained cables in a helix, as suggested at 25 (Fig. 5), thus firmly splicing the cables, in the sleeve.

For greater effectiveness and least effort in performing the twisting operation, I prefer to employ the handle extensions 20 mounted on the handles 21, but in restricted quarters or for other like reasons, it may be preferable to remove the extensions 20 and manipulate the device by means of the shorter handies 21. Y

The grooves 17 may have any desired contour or shape in cross-section, such as square or rectangularly oblong or semi-circular, al-

though I prefer to employ, and have shown, conjoined grooves having a semi-circular cross-sectional outline, and the die-blocks may he made of aluminum, copper or other suitable material, although I prefer to emflployalumin-um dies-for the larger sizes, and

copper dies for the smaller sizes, of cable to be spliced.

The cables 23 may have varying shapes and diameters,.a-nd may be single or stranded wires. The size and shape of the sleeve C, therefore, is accommodated to the size and shape of its contained cable elements 23, thus theslee-ve C may have the so-cal'led doublebarrel shape, or it may have an oval crosssection, which latter is suggested in the drawings to illustrate one commercial type of such a sleeve.

In actual practice, I have found that best results and the most efi'ective splices are obtained when the sleeve C is properly and firmly gripped and crimped on its contained cables or wires 23 prior to the twisting operation. I, therefore, provide the die-blocks 16 in pairs or sets B, as described, and sets of different sizes may be used,one at a time, in thexsame jaw assembly, the sets of die blocks being adapted to be readily inserted or removed from the jaw assembly Aas conditions may require; each of the several sets B preferably embodying grooves 17 having a shape and disposition suitable to the form and dimension'of the several sleeves and contained cables intended from time to time to be spliced. Thus the operator or operators may carry, for ex-ample, only two jaw assemblies A, but several sets 'ofdies B, of diflerent sizes, with resulting economles in weight and eX- pense, over the practice heretofore prevail- 1 in com. liance with statutory reouirements.

The preceding description will be understood in a descriptive and not in .a limiting sense, except as defined by the appended claims.

' I claim as my invention:

1. In a cable-splicing tool. a clamping means, a cable grlpping means forming seats for a plurality of laterally adjacent cables,

extending crosswise of the tool, means for removably mounting said gripping means in said clamping means, including a mortise connection adapted relatively to position the gripping and clamping means.

2. In a cable-splicing tool, a pair of clampingly swingable jawmen1bers, a pair of coactingly opposed cable-sleeve-receiving die blocks removably mounted in the respective jaw-members, a threaded holding member for detachably securing each die block in its associated aw member, and means constituted by the aw members and blocks, for positioning the blocks in the jaw members independently of said holding members.

3. In a cable-splicing tool, a cable-containing sleeve receiving die assembly, a clamping means supporting said die assembly for gripping movement on said sleeve, said clamping means including a pair of jaws, oppositely extended handles on one aw, a pivot on said jaw for hingedly relating the paired jaws, a screw clamp swingably carried by the handled jaw, and means on said die-assembly for crimping said sleeve to its contained cables on said gripping movement.

4. In a cable-splicing tool, apair of die blocks adapted to be grippingly mounted on one end of a cable splice, a pair of clamping jaws having outwardly flared apertures for receiving and operatively engaging said dieblocks for twisting action thereof, said clamping jaws including a pair ofopposite endwise presented handles formed integrally with one of saidjaws in alignment therewith, and a threaded handle extension for each of said handles.

5. In a cable-splicing tool adapted to grip a cable-splicing sleeve and its contained cables, a die-assembly including a pair of coactingly opposed die-blocks, each being tapered from its rear side to the face, and each 11 ving on its face portion a pair of parallel grooves conforming to the cables in the sleeve, and a portion presentable into the sleeve between the cables for crimping action thereon.

6. In a cable-splicing tool, a pair of separable clamping jaws, provided with registrable slotted portions, a swingable member carried by one of said aws, and arranged for movement in the slotted portions ofboth jaws, and a pressing member coacting with said swingable member for engagement with the other of said jaws when said slotted portions are substantially in registering relation.

7. In a cable-splicing tool, a pair of clamping jaws including a body member and a hinged member pivoted to the body member, said hinged member having its free end bifurcated, said body member having a recess adjacent to the free end of the hinged member,

a swingable member mounted in said recess for receptive movement in said bifurcated end, and a handled member threaded to said swingable member for pressing engagement with said hinged member.

8. In a cable-splicing tool, a pair of swingable jaws, a cable-containing-sleeve receiving die assembly removably inserted in said jaws, said die assembly including a pair of coactingly opposed die-blocks dovetailed in selfsupporting relation in the respective jaws, and having conjoined grooves conforming to tie cables contained in said sleeve, the conjoined wall of adjacent grooves being adapted to crimp said sleeve on its contained cables, and clamping means associated with said jaws for gripping said sleeve in said dieassembly, and maintaining the jaws in gripping relation about the'sleeve.

9. In a cable-splicing tool, a pair of clamping jaws including a body member and a hinged member pivoted to the body member, a clamping device swingable relative to the body member for releasable clamping engagement with said hinged member, oppositely disposed handle members formed on and endwise presented from said body memher in substantial alignment therewith, a

handle extension member threadedly sleeved on each of said handle members, and a cablecontaining sleeve-receiving die-assembly re' movably associated with said clamping aws, the jaws and die assembly being formed to position the die assembly in self-supporting relation in the said aws.

' 10. In a cable-splicing tool adapted for engagement with a cable-splicing sleeve and its contained cables, a sleeve receiving die-assembly including a body member having handles formed on its opposite ends, a jaw portion between said handles, a second jaw portion mounted for swinging movement on said body member, a pair of die-blocks carried by said jaw portions and arranged so as to be registerable for coacting opposition on said sleeve, each of said die-blocks having a pair of conjoined grooves conforming to the cables contained in said sleeve, the conjoined wall of adjacent grooves being adapted to contact the adjacent wall of said sleeve for crimping action thereupon, and pressing contained in said sleeve, the conjoined wall of adjacent grooves being adapted to contact the ad acent wall of said sleeve for crimping action thereupon, and pressing means removably receiving said die-assembly for clamping action thereupon, said pressing means comprising a pair of clamping jaws including abody member and a lnnged member p1voted to the body member, a clamping device swingable relative to the body member for releasable clamping engagement with said hinged member, oppositely disposed handle members endWise presented from said body member, a handle extension member threadedly sleeved on each of said handle members, said clamping jaws having in each of their opposing faces a transverse dovetailed slot, saiddie-blocks each having included shoulders adapted for slidable insertion in said slots, and fastening elements passed through each of said clamping jaws and threaded to the respective die-blocks.

ELON J. DE RIGHT. 

